/I can remember leaving the school at the end of a school year with young Elizabeth

And beginning the transition to summer.

As we did this, I was excited for summer but also aware of the fact that we had many things to work on. Things that were clearly listed on the IEP. The very IEP that we had probably signed off on a mere month prior.

We had reading, writing and math goals to work on as well as working on her speech and language skills. For those who may not know, my daughter Elizabeth has 2 disorders. They are SPD (sensory processing disorder) and global dyspraxia and she was non-verbal until she was 5 years old.

So her IEP was chock ful of things we could work on during the days. Not in a therapy kind of way, more in an everything-with-a -purpose kind of way.

The summer took its own pace as they tend to do.

June moves to July and we do our days, working on goals as we can.

And then, every so often, there would be something that she did for the first time. Maybe it was a new skill or maybe a skill done Just that much better than before or maybe it was a new word.

And I would think Did she just say that?!?!? Woohoo! I would think next.

And I was so certain that I would remember this. or the new thing she did or the new thing she did better.

But the truth is, with summer as busy as it typically is, I would kind of make a mental note of it and find myself struggling to remember the complete details for my records. The records that I would include in my introduction letter to Elizabeth’s new teacher at the start of the year.

Truth is, these things do matter….alot, in my opinion, I mean think about all the things that our kids can learn in the summer.

Things they didn’t know at the end of the year prior.

So something I started doing was to keep a record of all of these things I just mentioned. Sometimes it was in a journal that I use to write about events such birthdays or other special occasions and other times it was in a simple spiral notebook.

The point is to make sure to take that one moment and write it down. Date, and what they did.

It will really help you as you meet, talk to and help the new teacher learn about how your child works.

I think as summer flows along, so many little things can get lost.

So the next time you find yourself saying Did they just say that?

Take a moment enjoy the new thing

Then take a moment to write it down.

I promise you that come fall, you will be so glad that you did.

I wish everyone a peaceful week.

Michele Gianetti author of Elizabeth Believes in Herself